East End Café — Newport News’ History Café
It’s a beautiful, sunny day in Newport News, and as I open the doors to East End Café, I’m greeted by Mr. Lamonte and a buzzing café full of life. Let’s explore East End Café!
A Time Capsule Café
Let’s take a step back into time during the hustle and bustle of Newport News, VA — a port city that despite segregation, was full of life. This was a community that thrived given the circumstances during the 1950’s, full of black doctors, lawyers, and hospitals. This history can be discovered through oral stories that are told by the members who have never left East End, Newport News. As you wait for your Sour Sweet drink to be made (editors recommendation) you’ll see a map of East End where you can scan a QR code to access these interviews.
You’ll have the chance to paint a picture of what life was like, from segregation to the desegregation process. As many individuals began to leave East End, the money and stability left with them, closing a door with lack of funding and investments into the community. These stories shared in rich detail talk about members coming together to feed each other, taking care of each others kids, all while continuing to support local businesses in East End.
Sour Sweet Gone
This pair up of watermelon and lime is a great thirst quencher. It’s just enough acidity to get those taste buds tingling without creating a pucker face.
A Power Duo
Successfully raising their two children, Mr. Lamonte and his wife Mrs. Simone realized that they were out of touch with what was going on in their community. “Sometimes our history isn’t given, or it’s minimized”, says Mr. Lamonte on his journey towards not just unlocking history in East End, but giving everyone the opportunity to know what was, and what is East End.
Fully committing to their goal of immersing themselves into community, Mr. Lamonte and Mrs. Simone took leadership classes and started attending town hall meetings to know the ins and outs of what’s going on. Why do all this? There was a moment of clarity when they realized they weren’t really anchored in their community, and took on the mission to reacclimatize themselves into East End.
There was a newfound love for their community that was discovered, and rather than keeping it to themselves, Mr. Lamonte and Mrs. Simone wanted to share that love and pride of being in East End with the Hamptons Roads community. This space was created to connect Hampton Roads to East End, coming together to break stigmas that would discourage individuals to drive to that side Newport News. “Coffee is a veil to bridge a conversation,” says Mr. Lamonte, and I can assure you of one thing— their delicious drinks paired with a fruitful conversation can do the trick, and East End Café has mastered that.
East End Cafe Crew
Mr. Lamonte (center) and some of his crew members
What to Expect
Never been to East End Café? No worries! You’ll be greeted warmly by Mr. Lamonte, who I can tell, can spot a new face walking through the door. I experienced this during our interview when he politely asked a gentlemen about his day, noting he’s never seen him before and asked how he found out about the café. I wanted to mention this because this isn’t another café that you’ll walk into grabbing a drink. This is a place where the faces behind the brand truly care about their customers and make you feel welcomed. Sometimes walking into a new place to try can feel awkward at times, but there is no awkwardness with Mr. Lamonte and his crew at East End Café.
Taking it up a notch, the baristas who are making your drink aren’t just “regular” employees, they’re natives to the area as well. This was an intentional design by Mr. Lamonte who wanted to ensure that if a customer comes in asking about East End, that his employees can confidently answer them.
Take a Seat
East End Café is more than great coffee, it is oral history and storytelling in the making, and worth the time discover. Let’s continue to support black-owned businesses here in the 757 and in the words of Mr. Lamonte: “How can you make today great?”
Take care,
Marshé HarperP.S.: ‘My Hood, USA, 1937’ by Sho Baraka lyrically compels the struggles within black history, and is one of Mr.Lamonte’s favorite songs! I highly recommend giving it a listen.
